Some of the texts evoked conflicting opinions by different respondents - highly praised by some and perceived as imperfect by others. I looked them all up and ordered several examination copies, so my choice is not finalized yet. It looks like Hayes and Odden lead, but, by some professors who tried them in class, they are not without their little flaws.

My major conclusion from the numbers of e-mails I received and the genuine interest most of them expressed is that we, linguists, are teachers, and sharing our opinions on the books we use is very important for linguistics as a discipline and its future.